NGO Network of Integration Focal Points

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1 NGO Network of Integration Focal Points Assessment of skills and recognition of qualifications Recommendations for the integration of refugees and migrants in Europe October 2006 Funded by European Commission INTI Community Actions

2 NGO Network of Integration Focal Points The NGO Network of Integration Focal Points brings together 28 non-governmental organisations 1 in 19 European countries from both the refugee- and migration field with the aim to: Advocate for better integration policies and practices for refugees and migrants in Europe; Formulate recommendations and action points for the integration of refugees and migrants based on the experiences of NGOs and refugees/migrants themselves; Monitor and respond to the implementation of government s actions on integration in the light of the Common Basic Principles on Integration; 2 Share experiences of good practice in the field of integration of refugees and migrants. The Network is coordinated by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) in liaison with Caritas Europa. Both organisations have a long history of engaging their member agencies in discussions and activities on refugee/migrant integration and recently developed their positions on refugee/migrant integration: ECRE (2005), The Way Forward: Europe s role on the global refugee protection system Towards the Integration of Refugees in Europe, and Caritas Europa (2004), Integration A process involving all. The Network has been established in June 2005 and is supported by the European Commission (INTI Preparatory Actions 2004) until October 2006 and the Network of European Foundations (EPIM programme) from September 2006 to February European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Caritas Europa, Austrian Integration Fund, Caritas Austria, Caritas International (Belgium), Flemish Refugee Council, Counseling Centre for Integration (PPI - Czech Republic), Society of Citizens Assisting Migrants (SOZE - Czech Republic), Danish Refugee Council, Finnish Red Cross, Caritas Germany, Pro Asyl (Germany), Greek Council for Refugees, Irish Refugee Council, Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), Caritas Luxembourg, Cordaid (The Netherlands), Dutch Council for Refugees, Caritas Poland, Portuguese Refugee Council, Asociación Comisión Católica Espanola (ACCEM Spain), Comision Espanola de Ayuda al Refugiado (CEAR - Spain), Caritas Sweden, Scottish Refugee Council, British Refugee Council, Immigration Advisory Service (UK), Menedek (Hungary) and the Swiss Refugee Council. 2 See Council Conclusions, Immigrant Integration Policy in the European Union, 14615/04 of 19 November 2004 and the Communication from the European Commission on A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, September 2005, COM (2005)

3 About this booklet This booklet is a compilation of national reports on the assessment of skills and recognition of qualifications for refugees and migrants in 15 European countries. It is part of a series of six on the integration of refugees and migrants in Europe addressing the following topics: Housing Introduction programmes and language courses Assessment of skills and recognition of qualifications Vocational training and (higher) education Employment and employment support Civic and political participation The aim of the national reports is to inform policy and practice, and support advocacy efforts in these areas at national and European level. The content is based on the knowledge and experience of NGOs that assist refugees and migrants with their integration process on a daily basis 3 and on the discussions that have taken place between Network partners and external experts during three seminars in 2005/2006*. As such the national reports bring a practical perspective towards the implementation of the Common Basic Principles on Integration. To allow easy comparison between Member States most national reports have a similar structure. They describe and assess existing and forthcoming policies and practices in each country and give recommendations for improvements. The booklet starts with a summary of the key issues identified from all national reports and the seminar, and recommendations for the European Common Agenda on Integration. 4 For more information and/or comments please contact: ECRE Berend Jonker, (ext. 218), BJonker@ecre.org or Caritas Europa - Peter Verhaeghe, , pverhaeghe@caritas-europa.org * Seminar I: Linking developments on integration at EU level to national/regional/local integration policies and practices, Warsaw, November 2005; Seminar II: Integration Policies: Indicators and Benchmarks, Vienna, 31 March April 2006; Seminar III: Creating a Welcoming Society: Towards the Integration of Third-Country National in Europe, Brussels, 23 June The national reports have been produced by the various participating NGOs in the Network. Each NGO is responsible for the content of its report relating to their respective country. ECRE and Caritas Europa reserve the right not to be responsible for the accuracy, completeness or quality of the information provided in these reports. 4 See the Communication from the European Commission on A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, September 2005, COM (2005)

4 Content 1. Introduction 5 2. Recommendations for the European Common Agenda on Integration Country information.8 Austria Austrian Integration Fund 9 Belgium Flemish Refugee Council.11 Czech Republic - Society of Citizens Assisting Migrants (SOZE)...14 Denmark Danish Refugee Council.17 Finland Finnish Red Cross..20 Germany Caritas Germany.22 Greece Greek Council for Refugees...24 Ireland Irish Refugee Council.26 Italy Italian Council for Refugees (CIR) 29 Luxembourg Caritas Luxembourg..32 The Netherlands Dutch Council for Refugees 34 Portugal - Portuguese Refugee Council.37 Spain Spanish Commission for the Aid of Refugees (CEAR)...39 Switzerland Swiss Refugee Council...41 United Kingdom - British Refugee Council..44 4

5 1. Introduction In 2004, the European Council adopted the Common Basic Principles (CBP) on Immigrant Integration and in 2005, in its Communication A Common Agenda for Integration, the Commission developed these principles into a framework with action points at national and European levels. 5 This policy briefing relates to the implementation of CBP 3: Employment is a key part of the integration process and is central to the participation of immigration, to the contributions immigrants make to the host society, and to making such contributions visible, and CBP 5: Efforts in education are critical to preparing immigrants, and particularly their descendents, to be more successful and more active participants in society and in particular the action points: Exploring additional ways of recognising newcomers qualifications, training and/or professional experience, building upon existing laws and Facilitating transparent recognition of qualifications, notably through proposals for a European Qualifications Framework. Due to problems with recognition of their qualifications, skills and work experience, many refugees and migrants end up unemployed or underemployed. Many highly- skilled refugees and migrants are working in low-skilled, temporary and badly paid jobs. A loss not only for the affected persons, but also the host societies and their economies. Problems relating to the assessment of skills and recognition of qualifications apply to both refugees and migrants, although refugees are confronted with even more obstacles. Migrants can prepare for the recognition process in the country they choose to live and work. Refugees often leave in a hurry without knowledge of their final destination. They are not always able to bring all their diplomas and certificates with them and/or cannot access the institutions in their host countries that issued their documents. Refugees are more often confronted with these problems because, compared to other immigrants, a larger proportion tend to have higher educational and professional backgrounds. Experience in countries such as Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK shows that when migrants and refugees qualifications are recognised and/or if they have the opportunity to update their skills and knowledge by undertaking additional training or education, they are more likely to find suitable and long-term employment - matching their skills and qualifications. 5 See Council Conclusions, Immigrant Integration Policy in the European Union, 14615/04 of 19 November 2004 and the Communication from the European Commission on A Common Agenda for Integration Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union, September 2005, COM (2005)

6 2. Recommendations for the European Common Agenda on Integration The EU Directive on the recognition of qualifications The EU Directive on the recognition of qualifications 6 makes it possible for EU nationals who obtained their professional qualifications in one or more Member States to pursue their profession in other Member States. This Directive is beneficial for those professionals who are EU nationals wishing to relocate within the EU, but it is perceived as discriminatory by professionals from non EU Member States. The latter will have to go through usually lengthy, bureaucratic and expensive recognition procedures, even when they obtained their qualification in another EU country. The EU Directive on the recognition of qualifications should be extended to third country nationals who have long-term residency. 7 At the same time, the Long Term Residence Directive 8 should be amended to include refugees and persons with a subsidiary form of protection. Recognition of qualifications procedures Not all EU Member States have a sufficient legal framework in place to deal with the recognition of qualifications of third country nationals, notable Italy and Greece. In all EU Member States the recognition procedures for regulated professions 9 are generally lengthy, bureaucratic and expensive. Diplomas for non-regulated professions tend to be evaluated at different levels by different universities and National Recognition Information Centres (NARICs). However, they tend to be generally assessed (much) less than EU diplomas. Across Europe, refugees have additional problems because they are not always able to bring all their diplomas with them. All Member States should have a legal framework in place for the recognition of third country qualifications. Within this framework recognition procedures must be fast, transparent, simple, easily accessible, and free of charge. Alternative assessment methods such as exams to prove prior knowledge and working experience, inclusion of alternative documents and interviews to clarify previous education, should be (further) developed. 6 See the EU Council Directive 2005/36/EC of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. 7 This proposal is in line with the Commission s Communication on immigration, integration and employment, COM(2003) 336 final, and the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee, ECOSOC Opinion (SOC/113), of 18 September 2002 on the Proposal of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications, (COM(2002)119 final. 8 See the EU Council Directive 2003/109/EC of 25 November 2003 concerning the status of third-country national who are long-term residents. 9 Professions regulated by a professional body, for example medicine, dentistry, law. Some professions are regulated in one country but not in another. 6

7 Adapting skills and qualifications to the receiving society Refugees and migrants generally agree that it is necessary to adapt or upgrade their knowledge and skills to the working standards and culture in the receiving society. 10 This is even more pertinent for refugees who often have been unable to work for years due to their situation of exile and lengthy asylum procedures. In most Member States, there is a lack of suitable training courses that meet the learning needs of these professionals. They often need to go back to university and follow similar courses again to get the same degree in the receiving country. This takes years and is often impossible because of financial difficulties. In addition, there is a lack of information and professional assistance to advise migrants and refugees on suitable progression routes. Member States should promote and facilitate better cooperation between professional bodies, training providers and universities in order to provide training courses to upgrade qualifications tailored to the needs of third country nationals. The relevant service providers should ensure adequate information and assistance for diploma equivalence and progression routes to training and education that takes into account their skills level. For refugees, financial support is essential to enable them to follow additional training. Assessment of skills, qualifications and work experiences Many migrants and refugees feel that employers undervalue their qualifications, skills and work experiences. Various EU Member States are developing systems (e.g. Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning -AP(E)L) to make the value of people s skills and experience more visible to employers. At European level, there are initiatives such as Europass and the development of a European Qualifications Framework that should make qualifications and competences more comparable and compatible throughout the EU. So far such initiatives have not yet (fully) included third country nationals as a target group. 11 Qualifications of third country nationals should be included in the development of a European Qualifications Framework. All Member States should have skills audits in place to assess the competences of third country nationals and portfolio building should be further developed as a tool to assess skills, experience and qualifications as soon as possible after arrival in the host country. Skills audits should lead to formal certificates, which can be used for the purposes of further education, vocational training or searching for a job. 10 See Education Action International s Report Resource Project Refugees Contribution to Europe, February The European Thematic Group for Asylum Seekers (ETG5) of the EQUAL programme gathered expertise from different countries including the UK, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, showing the benefits that skills audits can bring for asylum seekers. See: 7

8 3. Country information 8

9 AUSTRIA Written by: Austrian Integration Fund Introduction Professional skills are, besides the knowledge of the official language, without any doubt the foundation for an effective and sustainable occupational integration. A significant obstacle for the career entry is the fact that the approval and recognition of diplomas and certificates acquired in Third States 12 has proved to be rather difficult. 13 In addition the time needed for this kind of procedure is often lengthy and the practical use of the already acquired knowledge is almost impossible. The above mentioned challenge applies in equal measure to refugees and migrants, although refugees are, to a specific extent, the group confronted with even bigger problems. Often they do not have access to needed documents or cannot get in contact with those services that recognised their qualifications in the first place has proved to be in some cases this proved almost impossible. Existing policies and practices Nostrification is the equalisation of a foreign with an Austrian diploma, whether this is a university, a school graduation or a certificate. In this process the foreign diploma is being equated with the Austrian equivalent together with all rights resulting from it, including the keeping of the corresponding Austrian academic title. Equality of both the contents and the volume with the Austrian studies and exams is required. In individual cases additional exams can be imposed. The applicant has to be a permanent resident of Austria (i.e. he/she must intend to reside in Austria permanently) or he/she has to apply for a job in Austria, which requires an Austrian academic degree or a certain level of education. The Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is in charge of pupils applications while the university or academy concerned is in charge of high-school certificates. Generally, this is the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC AUSTRIA) situated in the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The application for the acceptance of a university degree has to be made at the university, which offers the corresponding Austrian studies. 12 In this report Third States relates to all States other than Member-States of the European Economic Area (EEA). 13 For more information on the recognition of academic diplomas see the website of the Arbeitsmaktservice (AMS): 9

10 The documents required for the nostrification may vary depending on the educational institution; the following documents are however needed in any case: the application, personal passport, registration certificate (Meldezettel) or residence permit as well as the specific diploma. Moreover you are liable to pay for the costs of the nostrification. To equate the professional qualification, acquired through either school or work, with an Austrian apprenticeship according to the Berufsausbildungsgesetz (BAG); i.e. qualification obtained abroad (e.g. as a carpenter) can be equated to the Austrian one by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour. 14 Despite all efforts, the full professional potential of migrants in Austria remains unused. Social advancement of immigrants of non-austrian origin is difficult to achieve because of that. The biggest share of all employees working below their qualification level is that of people who were not born in Austria and who have neither acquired Austrian citizenship (45%). Higher education does not spare immigrants of unemployment - in order to escape unemployment they will accept any job. The amount of people working below their actual qualification is especially high among employees from non-eu countries. 47% of them are affected, especially persons from Turkey or former Yugoslavia. 15 Mostly immigrants do not lack skills, their qualifications are simply not recognised, which is the main reason for unemployment. AMS mostly do not consider the client s education but just his/her last job. AMS official position is that academic education, which has not yet been equalized, is not being recorded. 16 Recommendation The current policy of recognition and nostrification of third-state qualifications should be reviewed and the possibility of quick recognition should be extended in order to prevent most effectively unemployment and loss of experience, knowledge and qualification. 14 See http: // tabid= See August Gächter, Study of the Centre for Social Innovation ( ZSI), Bildung und Beruf in der Obersteiermark. Eine Studie zur Beschäftigungssituation von ZuwanderInnen, See 10

11 BELGIUM Written by: Flemish Refugee Council Introduction One of the reasons why a lot of newcomers do not find a job according to their qualifications is the fact that they often have trouble getting their foreign diplomas recognised in Flanders. 17 The various procedures for the recognition of foreign qualifications are complex and often demand a serious amount of time and effort in order to gather all the required documents for the application. It is important that newcomers understand the specific conditions and results of these different procedures for equivalency, so that they can chose the right procedure that corresponds to their personal goals. Starting the application as soon as possible is equally important, given the fact that the procedures take some time and delays frequently occur. Within the group of newcomers, many refugees and asylum seekers experience further difficulties, due to the fact that they are often not able of contacting their country of origin in order to obtain all the required documents. The solutions and alternatives that have been offered for this frequently occurring problem are too limited, which causes people in this situation to have fewer chances of getting their knowledge and qualifications recognised and finding a job according to their level of education. Furthermore, unawareness on the part of employers about the recognition of foreign diplomas does not only reduce the purpose of the recognition of foreign qualifications in itself, but especially poses an added obstacle for the integration of newcomers. Many issues that applicants encounter during the recognition process of their qualifications could be avoided by organising a broad and structured assistance offered by services that help newcomers in the framework of their integration. The Flemish Government in its integration decree and integration through work decree has confirmed the importance of the recognition of foreign qualifications for the integration of newcomers. 18 In addition, newcomers need to be able to start the procedure for the recognition of their diploma early, given the duration of the procedures and the impact the recognition has on their further employment and education opportunities. Way forward In order to promote the employment chances of newcomers, it is necessary to increase their chances at having their foreign qualifications recognised in Flanders. 17 A follow-up analysis of one of the pilot projects on diploma equivalency of the Flemish Refugee Council has proven that people who possess an equivalency of their foreign diploma have higher chances at finding a job that corresponds to their level of education. 18 Decree of 28 February 2003 regarding the Flemish Integration Policy, decree of 4 June 2003 regarding the Flemish Integration through Work Policy, and the 30 January 2004 implementation decree of the Flemish Government. 11

12 On the one hand, at the level of the responsible administration, the procedures need to be simple and easily accessible. In more specific terms, this means that the list of required documents needs to be limited to what is absolutely necessary for the assessment, and the procedures need to remain free of charge. The transparency of the procedures needs to be improved; clear decision criteria need to be used and communicated to the applicant. Furthermore, an effort should be made to create alternative opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers to prove their qualifications for obtaining an equivalence of their diploma. Examples of such alternative opportunities which already exist, but are not implemented sufficiently, is the option for asylum seekers/ refugees of adding extra documents on their relevant knowledge or professional experience, and the organisation of exploratory interviews where they get a chance to explain their foreign education program and thus add the information that is documented in their file. On the other hand, the services that assist newcomers with their integration, such as the reception offices, the integration services and services for employment mediation (VDAB) need to provide adequate information and assistance for diploma equivalency. Example of good practice From 2000 to 2004 the Flemish Refugee Council has executed a pilot project for diploma equivalency, with the purpose of enhancing the chances at recognition of the foreign qualifications of refugees and asylum seekers, in the light of increasing their employment opportunities. The Flemish Refugee Council provided individual assistance during these 4 years to holders of foreign diplomas at different locations in Flanders. 777 persons received assistance through this project, of which 623 persons introduced one or more applications for diploma equivalency. This has led to 756 applications in total, of which 83% received a positive decision on their equivalency. This project has shown that the need for adequate information and assistance with diploma equivalency is, and remains, great. Moreover, the figures of this pilot project show that assistance clearly has a positive influence on the chances of the applicants for obtaining a positive decision. From a follow-up analysis, we have learnt that people who have an equivalency of their foreign diploma are more often employed according to their level of education. The Flemish Government recognises this need for a better assistance and started together with the Flemish Refugee Council an experimental project. 19 The Flemish Refugee Council organises a seven-days training towards all employees of the induction offices (Onthaalbureaus) to improve their knowledge and assistance for diploma equivalency. However, this is a temporary project, further effort is needed to embed structural knowledge and follow-up of policies at the reception offices. This good practice also needs implementation in the other services (integration services and services for employment mediation). 19 June May

13 Recommendations It is the government s task to sensitise the actors on the job market about the value of the different certificates of equivalency in Flanders, in order to increase the employment of newcomers who possess a foreign diploma. We are convinced that this will substantially increase the employment chances of newcomers; It is necessary that the responsible services, as indicated in the Flemish decrees on integration and integration through work, develop and implement a structured offer of assistance in order to help newcomers with gaining the equivalence of their qualifications; The existing procedures for the equivalence of foreign diplomas in Flanders need to be developed further, with special attention for the difficulties encountered by asylum seekers and refugees, and with the general purpose of making the procedures easily accessible and transparent. 13

14 SOZE CZECH REPUBLIC Written by: Society of Citizens Assisting Migrants (SOZE) Introduction a) Individual Action Plan An Individual Action Plan (hereinafter referred to as IAP) is a tool available to Labour Offices for systematic approach to unemployed within the Act No. 1/1991 Coll., on Employment. IAP (Sec. 33(2), Act on Employment) is one of the general advice and guidance techniques, which is tailored to increase chances of a job applicant on the labour market. It should help prevent long-term unemployment. There is no legal obligation of a Labour Office to draw a plan with a job applicant. It is at its discretion. The legal obligation is given only regarding applicants who are up to 25 of age and regarding graduates up to two years after successful graduation but only till 30 years of age. Recognised refugees and foreigners with permanent residency are included among persons coming from disadvantaged socio-cultural background in (Sec 33(1) letter h), Act on Employment. Unfortunately, IAP is not regularly applied towards job applicants who are recognised refugees or foreigners with permanent residency, although they have the same rights and obligations at the labour market as the nationals. There are various reasons for this such as the language barrier, socio-cultural barrier, insufficient knowledge of Labour Office staff regarding the socio-cultural background of this group of job applicants, lack of methodology on skills audits regarding this group of job applicants, lack of funds and low number of Labour Office staff. Current practice at the IAP does not usually make use of language and socio-cultural training which is offered free of charge by NGOs. b) Recognition of professional qualification The existing system of recognition of professional qualification is focused only on achieved formal professional qualification (Act No. 561/1998 Coll., on Education (Sec.108) and by Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education (Sec. 89)) and provides no tool for the recognition of work experience gained (e.g. Accreditation of Prior (experiential) Learning - AP(E)L). The present system is very complicated and dependent on vast number of bilateral agreements. There is information missing which would be available already at countries of origin (it would be of a great impact especially in countries generating the biggest number of work migrants (this target group has a better chance to prepare their transfer to another country) but it might help also in countries generating refugees). Refugees and foreigners with permanent residence have to avail themselves for help from their relatives (for refugees it is often impossible 20 ). 20 There is an amendment of current legislature foreseen refugees will be allowed to substitute the documents regarding their professional qualification by the affirmation. 14

15 There is no possibility in place to verify diplomas issued after certain specialised additional training, which is not considered as formal education. Regarding employment - there is no possibility to prove ones qualification in case he/she is missing documents needed (e.g. an exam), regarding further education there is no possibility to recognise unfinished education Existing policies and practices a) IAP is embedded in the Act on Employment. Labour Offices were asked by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (hereinafter referred to as MPSV) Guideline No. 32/2004 (effective from 01/10/2004) to draft an IAP for all refugees who apply for guidance on search for a job regardless their age. MPSV has recognised the importance of individual and specific approach but regulates it only by a guideline not by the act of law. b) University diplomas are recognised by Czech universities, high school diplomas are recognised by the department of education of respective regional municipality very often the recognition of recognition is hindered by missing documents of low importance (e.g. a list of marks from individual subjects) Way forward What is needed is an individual approach towards the specific group of refugees and foreigners with permanent residency to unlock their hidden potential. This will increase their chances on the labour market leading to less unemployment and social exclusion. a) The Employment Offices should be more active in their approach towards refugees and foreigners with permanent residency, making use of the tools already available through the existing legislature. While implementing IAP cooperation between the different stakeholders is necessary to deal with issues such as recognition of diplomas, provision of language and socio-cultural training (NGOs services might be used). The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs should increase staff in Employment Offices and provide better methods and guidance for staff. In particular, it is important to increase staffs awareness of the socio-cultural background of various groups of refugees and foreigners (training could be provided by NGOs). Each employment office should also create a position for an official in charge of minority groups who would act as contact person and mediator for the target group. An integration officer should prepare a database of employers who are foreigners friendly and should also via positive examples of employment attract other employers to employ disadvantaged group of refugees and foreigners. Each employment Office should have a contact list of interpreters and budget to cover interpretation costs See also CIP EQUAL outcomes. 15

16 b) A list of documents needed for recognition of professional qualification should be established and available in countries of origin (pilot project Legal migration open chance in co-operation with embassies, see website of MPSV). In addition, a clear and transparent system of exams for recognition of professional qualification in different fields should be created, in case the necessary documents are missing must be transparent for employers. The Ministry of Education should ensure that the recognition of professional qualification will be carried out quickly using clear and easy to follow rules. Recommendations a) IAP To make use of tools available with existing legislation - active approach of employment Offices is needed; To create specific IAP for refugees and foreigners with permanent residency reflecting their specific needs; Co-operation of NGOs and state authorities - division of competencies and tasks (training of office staff in socio-cultural background of refugees and foreigners); To create a position of an official in charge of minorities groups at each Labour Office; To create database of foreigners friendly employers (might be only for internal use within the Labour Offices. b) Recognition of professional qualification To proliferate information on conditions of recognition of professional qualification (both in the Czech Republic and in countries of origin); To create a system of exams for individual professional fields in case the needed documents are missing; To carry out recognition quickly using clear and easy to follow rules. 16

17 Denmark Written by: Danish Refugee Council Introduction Denmark has since 2001 had a separate law on assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications. In relation to the law a centre responsible for assessments and recognition was established. Since 2005 a government agency (Cirius see under the Ministry of Education has been responsible for this function. Furthermore, regional knowledge centres for competence clarification of refugees and immigrants skills have been established to further the development of employment and integration efforts. Thus, a number of initiatives with the aim to make use of foreigners qualifications both educational and vocational have been implemented. Despite the positive initiatives the practical experiences until now show unsolved problems in the procedures for recognition. At the same time there are greater problems finding relevant employment when compared to actual qualifications. The unsolved problems are the following: o The lack of relevant and flexible re education possibilities. Often supplementation and up dating of qualifications are needed in relation to both the current demands in the Danish labour market and the demands in the Danish educational system; o The employers lacking acceptance of foreign education and vocational skills it is a continuously problem; o In the procedures for assessments and recognition problems appear when no diploma of education or vocational skills is available; o Persons with foreign background still encounter barriers, which means that even if employment is obtained it is not necessarily in accordance with qualifications. The group of asylum seekers constitute a special problem, since they in accordance with Danish rules, neither have access to the ordinary educational system nor permission to work. However, a certain assessment of the asylum seekers qualifications is carried out in the Danish asylum centres. The Danish Red Cross together with the Danish immigration authorities run most of the centres. Statistics on education (January 2004) show, that amongst the 25 to 64 year old, who have immigrated to Denmark from non-western countries, 35 % have an employment qualifying education. The percentage varies according to national affiliation: Iraq 36 %, Lebanon 22%, Bosnian Herzegovina 58%. The employment frequency for persons who have an education upon arriving in Denmark is 58 % in relation to vocational education and 55 % in relation to higher education. This is a higher employment frequency than for persons arriving without an education on 40 %, but significantly lower than the percentage for persons with a Danish education. For example the employment frequency is 84 % for non- western immigrants with a Danish 17

18 higher education. 22 Additionally, the statistics show that foreign higher education only to a limited extent gives access to employment on a higher level. Also foreign vocational education gives limited access to employment on a corresponding level. Therefore there is a need to improve the possibilities to make use of foreign qualifications both in relation to persons with vocational educations and higher educations. Existing policies and practices On the basis of the Danish legislation on assessment and recognition of foreign educations and qualifications refugees, employees who work with persons with foreign educations, employers, authorities responsible for occupations regulated by law, and educational institutions can undertake an assessment of brought qualifications. This applies to admission to educational institutions (merit transfer) and to employment in positions, which require certain educational and vocational skills. The law s purpose is to facilitate the access to the Danish labour market and the Danish educational system. The centre for assessment and recognition of foreign education has since its establishment been strengthened through amendments of the original legislation. The stated objective to further the use of foreign qualifications was part of the political goal in The Government s Vision and Strategies for Improved Integration June 2003, containing several initiatives which were to secure a better use of foreign resources (p ). Among the initiatives was the establishment of a number of regional competence clarification centres with specific expertise in guidance and knowledge of competence clarification. At the same time the dominating tendency in the Danish employment policy and employment efforts can be characterised by the motto: as fast as possible and straight to work. Employment as fast as possible is on a general level a positive policy, but is, in practice, contrary to the goal of furthering the use of refugees vocational qualifications. If foreign qualifications are to be useful, updating and upgrading of skills is required through supplemental re-education. Focusing on clarification and upgrading of skills takes time and resources. The fastest way to employment for refugees with an educational background might be unskilled labour, but in this way neither the individual refugee nor the Danish society benefit fully from the refugee s qualifications. Way Forward Despite the number of positive initiatives in Denmark, there are still as specified problems with the existing policy, practice and procedures. Therefore further steps must be taken to enhance the actual use of refugees resources. 22 The Ministry of Integration s immigration database from Statistics Denmark and their report Immigrants and the labour market. 18

19 Work should be done with: o Development of methods for assessment and competence clarification of persons, who of different reasons cannot document education or qualifications. For example employment on a trial basis; o Better methods for continuously individual competence clarification up until employment: this applies for the municipality authorities integration efforts both in the process before a formal competence clarification and in the integration programme after a competence clarification; o Development and securing of relevant possibilities of re- education, which are flexible in relation to the individual s prerequisites and affordable for the refugee; o Create a better understanding and accept of the value of foreign qualifications among employers, vocational organisations and educational institutions; o The use of vocational mentors, both volunteer mentors and professional mentors at work places. Previous studies on barriers in the educational system and in the labour market exist, but a new mapping of actual barriers is needed. If at better use of foreign qualifications is to succeed, a strengthened priority of precisely that is needed in the concrete integration and employment effort. The motto employment as fast as possible must not become equivalent to de-emphasising the use of foreign qualifications. Recommendations It is a waste of resources, not only for the individual refugee but also for the society in general, if foreign qualifications are not being properly used. Investments in using foreign qualifications in the Danish educational system and in the Danish labour market are demanded. Examples: Early individual competence clarification; Flexible and affordable re-education; Possibilities of job training and concrete testing of qualifications; A change of attitudes among the Danish employers. 19

20 FINLAND Written by: Finnish Red Cross Introduction In Finland, there is an established system of recognition of foreign qualifications. When a certain education or qualification is a requirement for a public post or position in Finland, the applicant can apply for the recognition of his or her foreign qualification from the National Board of Education. The National Board of Education decides on its equivalence, and whether the applicant should supplement it with additional training in Finland. The decision on recognition costs 178 euros. All foreign qualifications that have been completed within the EU/EEA can be recognised, while qualifications from other countries are comparable in Finland only if they are in higher education. The National Board of Education will, on request, however, can issue statements on foreign vocational qualifications at other levels. Advisory statements do not confer eligibility for civil service positions, but they can be useful when seeking employment in Finland. The charge of the statements on foreign vocational qualifications is 84 euros. If persons who have studied abroad wish to continue their studies in Finland, they do not need recognition of their qualifications by the National Board of Education. They can contact the higher education institutions directly, who then decide on the eligibility for further studies and the recognition of foreign studies as part of a Finnish higher education degree. In applications for work in the private sector, formal recognition is usually not necessary. Private sector employers can independently evaluate the competencies provided by the foreign qualifications of their employees. However, there are certain professions that require a licence to practise in Finland. A licence can be applied from certain official bodies; for example health care professionals apply to the National Board of Medicolegal Affairs for the right to practice. Lawyers, vets, chartered accountants and shipping professionals also require a licence. Existing policies and practices Even though there exists an established system of recognition of foreign qualifications in Finland, the system mainly benefits migrants with high educational backgrounds. This is extremely problematic to migrants with less education, who have often come to Finland as refugees or asylum seekers. Many refugees and asylum seekers also experience extra difficulties in getting their qualifications recognised in Finland due to the fact that they are not capable of contacting their countries of origin in order to obtain all the documents required. 20

21 In addition, many migrants do not take advantage of the existing system of recognition due to the high charges related to it. In addition to the basic charge of 178 euros, the recognition of professional qualifications often brings along other extra expenditures since certified Finnish or Swedish translations of all foreign documents must be attached to the application if the documents are issued in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, English, German or French. Way forward Since the recognition of professional qualifications contributes greatly to the integration of the migrants and increases their chances to find employment corresponding to their qualifications, the assessment of skills and the recognition of professional qualifications should be included in the integration plan and therefore be provided to migrants free of charge. It is also important that the existing recognition procedures are developed further with special attention for the difficulties encountered by migrants with low educational background. In addition, in order to surmount the difficulties of acquiring the documents needed for the recognition, more innovative forms of proving professional qualifications should be promoted. Specima is a national project, funded by the European Social Fund and coordinated by the Turku employment agency. The aim of the project is to provide highly educated migrants with better chances for work in Finland. It is targeted at migrants with a university-level degree who haven t got the formal qualifications to practise their profession in Finland and who lack the competency required here. Responding to the future shortage of labour is another objective of the project. Within the project, competency training is provided for doctors, dentists, teachers, research and laboratory assistants and professionals working in the fields of art and culture. The precondition for the training is a good knowledge of Finnish. The training is free of charge for students and takes approximately 18 months. Recommendations The existing recognition procedures of the professional qualifications should be further developed in order to meet the needs of the migrants with lower educational background; In addition, the recognition of the foreign diplomas should be made an integral part of the integration plan and therefore be provided free of charge. Migrants should also be provided alternative opportunities to prove their qualifications. 21

22 GERMANY Written by: Caritas Germany Deutscher Caritasverband Introduction The assessment of skills and recognition of qualifications that migrants bring with them is a key to their integration into the labour market and social life of the receiving country. Yet, such an assessment is not made on a regular basis in Germany. Only since the establishment of the programme for newcomers in January 2005 such an assessment could be part of the social counselling services (e.g. 2 first counselling for migrants ) that certain groups of newcomers can access. In cooperation with the employment agencies and job centres this group of persons might go through a systematic assessment and if all goes well measures to get these persons into jobs that fit most closely to their qualification and work experience might be taken. However, in view of the lack of vacancies on the German job market this is not often the case. Therefore capacities migrants bring with them and their potential contribution to the economy is mostly ignored. If they manage to find work this is in most cases far below their qualification and standards they had in their home countries. Also, the employment agencies and job centres have little sensitivity to the special needs of migrants and they do not perceive their integration in the labour market as a high priority in the context of thousands and millions of jobless Germans, who have additionally the right to get unemployment benefits. For newcomers the transparency in the recognition procedure (where documents are needed, authentications etc.) is often lacking. The recognition of qualifications is often reduced to certain standard formal qualifications. Yet, in many third countries such formal qualification systems neither exist nor are they comparable to the German system. As a result the qualifications are not documented and as a consequence not recognized. Therefore the recognition of qualifications should take into account the work experience of these persons. In addition, asylum seekers and refugees with a humanitarian protection status do not have the right or permission to work. Therefore they can also not apply for recognition of diplomas etc. Way forward Alternative possibilities for migrants to prove their qualifications in order to obtain an equivalence of their diploma and qualifications should be established, for example: interviews to assess the contents of further qualifications, tests, considering additional documents such as further trainings, professional experiences, etc. Adequate information and assistance with diploma and qualification equivalence should be easily available. As experiences in other countries show, assistance for the process of 22

23 recognition of foreign diploma leads to a higher rate of positive decisions (for example in Belgium). Procedures for the assessment and auditing of skills and qualifications should be further developed and regularly implemented by employment and job centres. The value of the different qualifications and diplomas should be promoted among the employers and the administrative bodies concerned with migrants. Recommendations Assistance for diploma and qualification equivalence for migrants should be established on a formal basis. The procedures should be transparent, fast and simple; Skill audits and the assessment of qualification should be further developed and become a regular feature of the integration programme and the dealings of the employment centres with migrants; Society and employers should be sensitised to the professional and skills potential that migrants bring with them. 23

24 GREECE Written by: Greek Council for Refugees ΕΣΠ GCR Introduction Until 1979, universities were solely responsible for the recognition of academic titles. Since 1979, an organisation called DIKATSA was by law responsible for the recognition of academic degrees/titles obtained outside Greece. A public organisation called ITE was responsible for the recognition and equivalency of degrees from technological institutes. However, in 2005, the Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center (Hellenic NARIC.Ο.Α.Τ.Α.Π.) has taken over this role from both organizations. The National Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs supervises the operations of NARIC. The Organisation For Vocational Education and Training (OEEK), is responsible for the equivalence of degrees obtained in the framework of secondary education and vocational training. The recognition of any title/degree is a precondition for obtaining a work permit. This procedure is both demanding and time consuming. Refugees usually have difficulty producing the necessary documentation and are thus excluded from the recognition process. Also, the legal framework in Greece is not complete as there is not a system in place for verifying ones educational level obtained at institutions other than formal universities and technical schools. Moreover, the same applies for training obtained through employment and during the employment period (on the job training). Therefore, non-formal skills, experience and qualifications cannot be assessed. Way forward Because of these difficulties with the recognition of their degrees and the lack of a certification system, refugees have to re-define their employment goals. Usually they are forced to find employment as unskilled workers regardless of their previous work experience or educational level. This forced re-adjustment makes their previous efforts experience and qualifications superfluous and results in loss of skills. At the same time, the local labour market loses out on the chance of utilizing potential new techniques or professional skills refugees bring with them. It is worth noting that employers are positive about the idea of an official system for the certification of non-formal professional skills. 24

25 The existing procedure of degree recognition should therefore be modified so that refugees who hold academic titles, but cannot produce the necessary documentation, are not excluded. The competent bodies in cooperation with educational institutions should develop alternative methods for recognizing degrees from outside Greece and other EU countries. A Certification System for the assessment and recognition of non-formal (education and training) skills, experience and qualifications should be developed. This would have positive results for the local labour market and refugees, as it will significantly increase their integration prospects and chances to access suitable jobs (according to their educational level and skills) in the Greek labour market. NGO s that have participated in the implementation of projects in the framework of the EQUAL Community Initiative have conducted research and developed policy proposals for the development of such a system (using a personal portfolio). The OEEK could be the organization responsible for the implementation of this system. Recommendations The existing procedure of degree recognition should be modified so that refugees who hold university titles but cannot produce the necessary documentation are not excluded; Development of a reliable Certification System of non-formal employment skills, in accordance with the European Legal framework accepted by both employees and employers representative bodies. 25

26 IRELAND Written by: Irish Refugee Council Introduction The qualifications of refugees and migrant workers are often not recognised in Ireland, resulting in qualified workers taking up unskilled work. There is no clear system through which migrants can have their qualifications recognised. The result of this is that they often live in poverty when they could be contributing to Irish society and be economically independent. This situation creates problems for their integration into society. 23 The difficulties experienced by refugees and migrants associated with getting previous educational attainment and qualifications recognised also apply to second and third level educational achievements attained in their countries of origin, as well as recognition of prior registration with professional bodies there. Sometimes the problem stems from a lack of documentation that is needed to prove their qualifications or level of education. In other cases, refugees or migrant workers may have their degree certificates, but are asked to supply full transcripts detailing all courses taken in each year of university, certified by the university. 24 There have been particular problems with professional bodies asking for letters of confirmation of training and professional status from their counterparts in the applicant s country of origin. 25 Problems with the translation of degree and diploma certificates and with an understanding of the different levels of proficiency that a certificate qualification can indicate have also been identified. Existing policies and practices 26 There is no coherent or standardised model of assessment in place to both recognise and evaluate qualifications. What often exists in practice is the dissemination of contradictory and misleading information, resulting in the creation of unnecessary institutional barriers and obstacles. Qualifications from the new EU accession countries are far more likely to be recognised, as a result of EU law, than those acquired under an identical education system in, for example, other countries of the former USSR. 23 Immigrant Council of Ireland, Voices of Immigrants The Challenge of Inclusion, Integrating Ireland, International students and professionals in Ireland: an analysis of access to higher education and recognition of professional qualifications, For example, the Irish Medical Council stipulates that an applicant looking to practice medicine in Ireland must supply very detailed transcripts and qualification certificates. These can be difficult for refugees in particular to provide. 26 Integrating Ireland, op cit. 26

27 Problems have also been identified with the attitudes of professional bodies: they often lack flexibility and do not have a proactive approach to assisting nationals of non-eu or OECD countries to register as easily and as swiftly as possible. Way Forward There is an urgent need for more joined-up thinking with regard to national criteria in the assessment and evaluation of non-eu academic and professional qualifications. There should be a body that is capable of evaluating non-eu qualifications and issuing their holders with an authoritative document that would establish the standard they have attained. This role should be taken on by the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. Courses already provided by FÁS 27 and other bodies should to be tailored to the actual needs of those arriving in Ireland from non-eu countries, and for FÁS to take proper account of work experience and qualifications gained in non-eu countries. Numerous EU-wide studies have been undertaken on the subject of recognising foreign qualification. 28 These studies highlight the importance of recognising prior qualifications and experience in facilitating both successful professional and social integration. Countries like Canada and the UK, with more experience of immigration, have well established policies and criteria around the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. For example, the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials provides clear guidelines for the assessment of foreign credentials, and the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom acts as a service provider for the comparability of international qualifications. 29 Recommendations The recognition of qualifications will greatly aid the integration of non-eu nationals in Ireland, as well as facilitate the successful participation of refugees in Irish society. To this end there is an immediate need for a coherent national approach involving the various Government departments and agencies in order to address the issues of nonrecognition of foreign qualifications. This could be done through the development of legislation and through programmes that are designed to standardise the approach of the government, public and private sectors in dealing with foreign professionals and assessing their experience and qualifications; There is a need for FÁS to examine ways in which the previous work experience of non-eu nationals can be given the consideration it deserves by Irish employers and by FÁS itself; 27 Ireland s National Training and Employment Authority. 28 See for example: Intergovernmental Committee of the Lisbon Recognition Convention, Recommendation on International Access Qualifications, 1999; Council of Europe Working Party on Refugee Qualifications, Guidelines for the recognition of refugee s qualifications, 1999; ECRE, Good Practice Guide on the Integration of Refugees in the European Union: Vocational Training, See and 27

28 Cooperation between the various professional bodies, FÁS, Universities and Institutes of Technology is essential to provide relevant courses to up-grade qualifications where necessary. 28

29 ITALY Written by: Italian Refugee Council (CIR) Introduction According to Italian law 30, academic degrees from abroad are not automatically recognised and an official recognition by the competent body is necessary to continue a study or exercise a profession. Recognition can be necessary for professional (to get access to regulated professions) or academic reasons (to get access to higher education, to continue an academic study or to pursue Italian university titles. Italy does not yet have a system of skills audits for the recognition of professional qualifications and experiences (neither for national citizens nor for foreigners). The recognition of professional qualifications is only possible through the recognition of official certificates. Existing policies and practices Universities are the responsible bodies for the recognition for academic purposes. The recognition process can have two possible outcomes: equivalence and award of the same legal validity as the Italian title (equipollenza) or partial recognition. People with partial recognition are requested to proof their qualifications through exams and/or writing a thesis. In Italy, universities are independent bodies and by law entitled to determine the full or partial equivalence of titles from abroad. A request for recognition of a professional qualification has to be submitted the Ministry responsible for the regulation of that profession. The Ministry is required to publish a decree regarding the result of the process in the Gazzetta Ufficiale within four months. There are three possibilities: decree of recognition (which gives to the beneficiary the full right to exercise the profession), non-recognition (when a substantial difference between the professions and studies in the two countries has been established) or partial recognition and the request to accomplish compensative measures (exams or a period of internship). In both cases, the recognition of qualifications is a complex process: it requires the production of original official certificates of the academic titles and the official list of exams and marks, which has to be authenticated through a Value Statement provided by the Italian Consulate in the country where this certificate was achieved (it has to certify validity, length of study, result on study prosecution). This obviously causes problems for most refugees, who are often unable and suspicious to contact the Consulate in the 30 Art.170 R.D. n.1592/

30 country they had to flee from. Moreover, for the recognition of professional qualifications it is necessary to produce evidence of permission to exercise that profession. If this evidence is not available the person has to demonstrate two years of professional experience (through references of clients/employers or financial proofs). The Ministry of Welfare set up a decree 31, which defines procedures for starting a national system for certification of professional qualification. This system should guarantee transparency of professional qualifications and enable transfer between different systems. This activity should follow the European framework concerning lifelong learning and should be in line with Italy s duties from the Council of Lisbon (2000) aimed at promoting better European cooperation in the field of education and vocational training. In 2002, the National Reference Point (NRP) for certifications was established and promoted by the European Union and the Ministry of Welfare. The NRP provides information on Educational and Vocational Training Systems and on the certifications issued in Italy regarding vocational qualifications. It belongs to a wider NRPs Network in Europe (promoted by the European Union) with the aim to increase the transparency of national qualifications systems, thus facilitating a greater mobility of citizens across Europe. At the same time a system was created ( portfolio for citizen ) that collects information, data and certificates concerning professional and educational experiences. D.lgs n. 276/2003 defines the portfolio as a tool to record competences acquired through apprenticeships and other professional or educational experiences. It should be stressed that the registration of the competences acquired in formal, non-formal or informal context in this portfolio does not have jet any official value since there are no procedures yet at national level to recognise them. For the moment, the portfolio is a personal tool released by regional authorities or bodies. However, the objective is to define and recognise minimum standards. The tool is expected to be piloted 13 regions, but at present, the system is still work in progress because the regional authorities are working on a common framework for the practical application. Clearly, there is practical evidence yet on how this tool will work and on its impact on the recognition of refugees competences. These policies were originally planned for national citizens. It should therefore be carefully monitored that access to this system will be granted to asylum seekers and refugees as well. Way forward Recognition of professional and educational qualifications is an extremely long and difficult process. A framework for equivalency that makes it possible to compare different educational systems with the Italian system should replace the requirement of a personal Value Statement. It is not possible for prior competences to be recognised without an official certificate. 31 D.M. 174/

31 A specific permanent commission should be created in order to evaluate and validate professional and educational competences of refugees. A recent research report entitled Formare, inserire, integrare. Percorsi formativi e occupazionali per richiedenti asilo e rifugiati 32 on this topic was drafted by a team of experts in the Integra project 33, funded by the EQUAL programme. This research highlighted critical points and proposed the use of a portfolio in accordance with the last policy development (D.legs n. 276/2003). This portfolio should pay special attention to refugees attitudes and characteristics and should facilitate certification of asylum seekers and refugees skills, expressing clearly their competences developed in their professional and educational life. Recommendations A common system of recognition of previous experience and qualifications should be set up as part of the existing process of EU harmonising qualifications; Employers should be made aware of the difficulties of the recognition process, in order to increase the employment level of people with foreign professional and educational certificates. 32 Integra, Formare, inserire, integrare. Percorsi formativi e occupazionali per richiedenti asilo e rifugiati, June Integra project involved 7 Local municipalities, the Anci (Association of Italian Municipalities) and 25 NGOs and it proposed a model focused on the role of municipalities and local network constituted by the most important actors in the integration field. 31

32 LUXEMBOURG Written by: Caritas Luxembourg Introduction The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training validates only final secondary school degrees which are delivered in EU countries or signatory countries of the Lisbon Convention. Exceptions are made for recognised refugees coming from countries which did not sign this convention: their final secondary school degree is validated as equivalent to the Luxembourg s final secondary technical school degree. Access to university is limited to students in possession of a valid residence permit. As for conditions for accessing job market, there is a distinction between regulated and non-regulated profession. In order to practise a regulated profession, recognition of knowledge is required. The university degrees of regulated professions need to be submitted before the equivalence committee in order to be validated. All persons with residence in Luxembourg may apply for validation by equivalency committee with the Ministère de L Education Supérieure. However, the candidates secondary school final degree needs to have been validated in Luxemburg. Degrees validated by the equivalence committee do not automatically authorize to practice the profession. Access to job market is only exceptionally authorized to non-european degree holders. Some 20 professions in the health-care sector are grouped as health-care professions. Once the degree has been validated, a request to practice the profession needs to be lodged with the Ministry of Health. Non-European degree holders (health and care profession) often face an insurmountable barrier. Practising a non-regulated profession does not require official validation of the degree. However, university degrees have to be listed in a register of university titles with the Ministère de la Culture, l Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche. Only persons with a residence permit in Luxembourg may have their university title registered. Degrees validated by the equivalence committee do not automatically authorize to practise the profession. Applicants with a degree obtained in a non-eu country whose employment lies within the responsibility of the future employment, are usually required to take an exam in professional skills. Validation of professional skills is currently defined in two legislative texts: the grandducal regulation dated June 17, 2000 about vocational training for adults (articles 9 and 10) and the law of August 12, 2003 about establishing a university in Luxembourg (articles 9 and 12). The law about vocational training provides that the minister responsible for vocational training may grant a cancellation of usual conditions for university entry to candidates who do not meet the foreseen condition, but who can prove having a former professional practise that can be validated. 32

33 The law about the university provides that every person who has at least three years of professional work experience in a paid, unpaid or voluntary job, related to the subject of their request, can request validation of skills gained through experience in order to fully or partly prove the knowledge and skills required to obtain a degree or a title. A draft law about the reform on vocational training and life long learning provides the right of every person currently working or having worked in the past, to have their skills, gained in working experience, validated in order to obtain a professional qualification. This law will apply to certificates and degrees of secondary technical schools, final degrees of post-secondary technical education, and master craftsman s certificates. Way forward In the procedure of validation of degrees European, non-european and national applicants are subject to same conditions (except for the condition for foreigners to be in possession of a residence permit). It is the origin of the degree that is taken into consideration. We conclude that in the field of regulated professions, degrees obtained in non-eu countries almost never give the right to practice the profession (with exception of certain countries). As for non-regulated professions, an applicant with a degree obtained in a non-eu country may face difficulties in validating his/her professional skills and obtaining a job at a corresponding level. The local labour market loses out on the chance of utilizing professional skills that migrants bring with them. The law of 5 May 2006 concerning the right to asylum and complementary protection provides that asylum seekers have the right to education. However, so far a consensus on interpretation of the law has not been reached. It is still not clear if it will be limited to vocational training. Recommendation Assessment of skills should be developed and established on a formal basis in order to take in account the potential that people either nationals or migrants bring with them; the recognition of skills could be used for purposes of further education or job search. 33

34 THE NETHERLANDS Written by: Dutch Council for Refugees Introduction For newcomers seeking employment, who would like to access education, or take an integration course in the Netherlands, it is important to know what their foreign accreditation is worth. A written declaration submitted by an expert centre can indicate the value of a foreign diploma or course in the Netherlands. A declaration of this type could enable refugees to follow education that is better suited to their prior-obtained education, or to find employment that is more closely related to actual qualifications. It must be noted that the above-mentioned declaration is of an advisory (and not decisive) nature, and that it does not imply an immediate right to the recognition of the relevant qualifications. An additional problem faced by many refugees is the fact that, during the course of the flight from their country of origin, important documents, including diplomas and/or certificates, may have been lost or left behind. It is also problematic that foreign (non- EU) diplomas are frequently valued less than their Dutch equivalents, as a result of which refugees are often forced to apply for jobs below their competency level, or to follow (unnecessary) additional education and/or vocational training. For some, a procedure on competencies obtained elsewhere could offer a solution (see below). For refugees who would like to work in a so-called regulated profession, 34 such as doctors or lawyers, the procedure is long, complicated, and generally requires considerable perseverance. The Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports is responsible for regulated professions in the health sector. In the past few years, the Ministry has paid considerable attention to the recognition of qualifications of foreign doctors, including many refugees. For example, a special registration office was established and service provision has been improved. Still, finding a place where one can practice medicine remains cumbersome for those without a network of Dutch contacts to provide a measure of access to the traditionally very closed world of medicine. Existing policies and practices All requests for the recognition of foreign qualifications and/or degrees are coordinated by the Information Centre on Diploma Evaluation (IcDW). The IcDW was established by the Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic) and the Centres of Expertise on Vocational Education, Training and the Labour Market (Colo). Together, these institutions now form the new structure of the Evaluation of Foreign Credentials (IDW) in the Netherlands. Where Nuffic assesses foreign qualifications and diplomas at the level of secondary and higher (graduate and 34 A protected profession is one that may only be exercised by an individual if he/she has received official approval from a duly competent body. 34

35 undergraduate) education, Colo concentrates on those qualifications and diplomas relating to secondary and adult-level vocational or professional training. The instance to which a refugee should submit a request for the recognition of foreign qualifications depends on the particular situation. The following guidelines may be useful as an indication: IcDW and the Centre for Work and Income (CWI) have an agreement that all unemployed job applicants are entitled to request that CWI certify their diplomas, at no cost for the applicant. Refugees and newcomers who will be following an integration programme (as specified under the Integration of Newcomers Act) may be included in this category of applicants. In practice, the CWI forwards all requests to the IcDW. IcDW is primarily responsible for the translation of the relevant documents, which it sends to Nuffic or Colo for assessment and verification. All costs incurred for this target group are covered by CWI. Those who have not yet decided whether they want to work or enrol in (further) study may also apply to the CWI for recognition of their qualifications. As in the above-mentioned example, the costs incurred are covered by CWI. Someone who wishes to access education in the Netherlands can request that the particular educational institution he/she aims to attend certify prior diplomas and/or educational qualifications. The educational institution, in this case, will forward the request to IcDW. Where a request for certification of prior qualifications is submitted by a public (regularly subsidized) educational institution, no fees are charged. In the event that a private educational institution submits the request, either the diploma holder or the educational body may be required to cover the costs. A job applicant with a job in the professional services sector is advised to contact the IcDW for recognition of his/her qualifications. Costs incurred (estimated at 105) are the responsibility of the applicant. Those who are engaged in regulated professions (i.e. dentists, physiotherapists, teachers) are required to contact their relevant professional organisations. Those relating to healthcare may be found on the website of the Reference Point for Foreign Diploma Holders in Public Health. 35 The applicant will be required to cover all costs relating to certification. Someone who has obtained an academic title abroad can apply for a Dutch academic degree. Such requests are not assessed by the IcDW, but by the IBG (Information Management Group) based in Groningen, which is responsible for ascertaining whether applicants meet the requirements for a Dutch degree. Way forward An important starting point for the Recognition of Prior (or Elsewhere) Obtained Competencies (EVC) is that every diploma, qualification or type of professional experience can be translated into concrete competencies that are relevant for a given field

36 of work or degree. In this context, all completed as well as incomplete degrees become relevant. Not only paid professional experience is taken into account, but also volunteer work, care-taking tasks in the family, or involvement in civil society organisations. The recognition process by EVC begins with an assessment of an applicant s prior education (old report cards, certificates, etc. may be taken into consideration) and practical work experience. In this way, the EVC has an early overview of an applicant s educational level, as well as his/her employment sector. By completing practical assignments and projects in a preliminary phase, the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes of each refugee are made visible. Individual competencies are revealed, assessed and recognized where possible and practicable. Where some (but not all) aspects of a qualification are recognized, it is no longer necessary to follow a full-length degree in that field. On the basis of all these factors, a tailor-made trajectory can be composed for each individual. In some cases, this approach may enable refugees to enter the labour market directly, without necessitating any additional academic or vocational training. Advantages of an EVC include: Aside from IcDW, EVC can be very useful in assessing the possibilities of refugees to engage with the labour market and/or educational sector. EVC offers employers the possibility to make optimal use of those (already employed) refugees, and to value them according to their true potential. EVC assists refugees to prove their adequacy for desired functions, and mediates to ensure that they are fairly compensated. EVC presents trainers with the possibility to offer tailor-made programmes to refugees, in accordance with prior education and skills levels. Unfortunately, EVC procedures are presently not specifically aimed at the target group of refugees with a background in higher education. As of yet, there is still no standard way of referring this target group to EVC for the certification of qualifications. A transnational centre of expertise for the recruitment of non-traditional target groups was established in the autumn of Relevant target groups for this centre include, inter alia, immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and the disabled. The goal of the institution is to develop EVC-methods that are specifically aimed at the above-mentioned groups. Other organisations involved in the project include: CWI, the Dutch Council for Refugees, Emplooi, Nuffic, FNV and CNV (Unions). Pilots will aim at testing existing instruments, developing new instruments, and mainstreaming EVC at the sectoral and regional levels. 36

37 PORTUGAL Written by: Portuguese Refugee Council Introduction Refugees and asylum seekers (AS) do not make use of the existing National System for Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competences (RVCC). By attending this scheme they could get a formal certificate of their competences equivalent up to the 9 th school year, which could be extremely useful in the case of those with lower education. This system was designed for nationals and does not cater for either migrants or refugees. Existing policies and practices 36 The National System for Recognising, Validating and Certifying Competences consists in the establishment of a network of Centres for RVCC s. These centres 37 are managed by either private or public organisations. The centres make both recognition and validation of formal and informal competences of adults acquired during their life, as well as the correspondent certification (regulated by the Ministry of Education). It has also been established the RVCC Pro system which consists in the recognition, validation and certification of professional competences. So far the system is available for a few professions such as: electricians, secretaries, bookkeepers, mechanics, etc. The RVCC s centres are places where adults, over 18, who do not have the compulsory 9 years of schooling, can seek the recognition, validation and certification of lifelong learning. In the RVCC process, the knowledge and competences recognised and validated can result in a certification degree according to three levels: Basic 1, Basic 2 and Basic 3. The Guidelines to Key Competences, which are structured in these three levels, include four key-areas of competences: 1. Language and Communication (LC); 2. Mathematics for Everyday Life (ML); 3. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); 4. Citizenship and Employability (CE). The certification in a given level is achieved when all the four key-areas are validated. Way forward There is a great need to adapt this scheme to refugees and migrants. The general frame of the scheme is applicable and only some tools have to be adjusted to people who do not have the same command of the Portuguese language as nationals. 36 See Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), Internal Information of Oct By October 2005, 91 centres existed nationwide. 37

38 It is necessary to pilot a project, which can put into use the existing scheme but addressing specifically the identified groups. It can be done by any of the RVCC centres, public authorities or NGO s active in the migration and asylum fields. The Portuguese Refugee Council together with the charity Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML) started with EQUAL II funding a pilot project in this field. The aim is to integrate AS and refugees in the RVCC system and to observe what are the shortcomings of it in relation to foreigners. Then the tools shall be adjusted so that later on refugees, AS or any other third country nationals can benefit from this system. One of the specific objectives of this project is to make use of a system already settled, funded and which is working well nation-wide. It will be much easier to have third country nationals integrated in such a scheme than to build up another one. There are many good practices across Europe in the field of skill audits to refugees and AS. The European Thematic Group Asylum (ETG5) of the EQUAL programme organised a working group on this subject, which gathered expertise from different agencies and different countries operating in this field, showing the benefits for Asylum Seekers. Recommendations To integrate third country nationals in already existing schemes of skill audits and recognition of educational / professional qualifications and guaranteeing that these schemes have the necessary flexibility for these specific groups; To allow asylum seekers to enter these schemes regardless of their legal situation; To find ways that skill audits can lead to any form of formal qualification ( certification ) which can be used for purposes of further education, vocational training or job search. 38

39 SPAIN Written by: Spanish Commission for the Aid of Refugees (CEAR) Introduction Many asylum seekers and refugees arriving in Spain are highly qualified, with from professional backgrounds and successful in their home countries. But they have difficulties in getting their qualifications and work experience recognised. And face numerous disadvantages on the labour market in accessing education and training. There are well-documented artificially constructed barriers such as non-recognition or under valuation of refugees qualifications and experience from their countries of origin. In Spain, there is no system for the recognition of previous experience and qualifications of asylum seekers and refugees. The host society misses out on potential human resources that could contribute to the labour market. Many of those requesting protection have skills and qualifications that could bring social and economic benefits or address skills shortages. The host society needs to become aware of the potential of asylum seekers and refugees. The recognition of their capabilities also contributes to their integration and to the fight against social exclusion. Successful integration is of benefit to all. They can support economic, social and cultural growth through their positive contribution, if the place they have in society matches their skills and professional capabilities. Way forward Generally, asylum seekers and refugees are not well perceived in the labour market, as they are considered in the same way as economic migrants. The Public Administration does not develop any special programmes for asylum seekers and refugees, as they are considered together with immigrants under the same socially excluded category. Spain supports activity within the asylum-seekers theme in its Equal Programmes. There is an example of good practice developed by an Equal Project in the UK, consisting in skills auditing. The skills audit seeks to explain the background to any skills gained in the country of origin and sets these within the context of the host country. The results can offer asylum seekers and refugees, access to relevant education, training, volunteering, employment or other forms of work experience, such as traineeships. It also helps them to understand their positions within the labour market. When participants find work, skills audit contribute directly to reduce public costs and welfare aid. The benefits outweigh the costs. 39

40 Recommendations A system of recognition of previous experience and qualifications of asylum seekers and refugees should be set up in Spain. It would simplify their access to vocational training and education and give them opportunities to re-qualify, in order to adapt their skills and experience to the host country s labour market requirements; Resources should be put into place to ensure that appropriate capacity exits to deliver skill audits. They should be developed in partnership with NGOs and the National Institute of Qualifications (INCUAL) of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and the General Body for the Integration of the Immigrants of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Therefore, civil servants need to have access additional training, in order to learn about the specifications and rights of asylum seekers and refugees; The recognition of skills and professional qualifications of asylum seekers and refugees should be specially promoted in situations where there is a skill shortage in the host country. 40

41 SWITZERLAND Written by: Swiss Refugee Council Introduction Refugees trained in a professional sector face up specific difficulties to integrate the labour market. Their opportunities to get a job matching their training, experiments, professional skills and future aspirations are weak compared to persons born in Switzerland. These inequalities in the labour market constitute one of the major obstacles to integration. Other difficulties met in practice are the difficult recognition and validation of experiences or qualifications gained in the countries of origin by migrants, as well as the lack of opportunities given by institutions or employers to adjust their knowledge. The persons who could potentially benefit from an assessment of competences and professional skills in Switzerland release from two statuary distinct groups: the refugees granted with that status and asylum seekers with the status of temporary admitted persons (temporary protection). The first group refers to a population of about 3000 persons, the second of around 23,000. For asylum seekers with no temporary admission, there s no financial support available and no facilities to access to integration activities. According to an OSAR survey achieved in 2004, established refugees benefit from a good education and a certain level of professional skills. About 20 % finished university training, 28 % secondary education, and 45 % primary education (compulsory schooling). Regarding professional skills, 71% of the considered refugees benefited from competences acquired in their country of origin. For the temporarily admitted persons, the level of scholastic training is slightly inferior. With regard to professional training, difference with the refugees sample is not marked. For both groups the gender factor on the other hand reveals significant difference: there are fewer women with training than men. Existing policies and practices From a legal perspective the authorities or institutions charged to deal with the diploma s recognition processes for foreign people are defined. 38 There is however in practice these institutions do not have knowledge or understanding of the quality of the training systems and academic programmes existing in third countries. In addition, there is no specific governmental strategy defined to get the skills or capacities of refugees or provisory admitted asylum seekers recognised. 38 The Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (OPET), the Rectors Conference of the Swiss Universities CRUS for University degrees, the Swiss Red Cross for non-academic health care professions (nursing, physiotherapy etc.), the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health Medical examinations section for Academic health care professions (doctors, dentists, veterinarians and pharmacists), the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK) for Education training programmes and Social work and art and design training programmes 41